Committee with ability to call for CPSIA hearings

The following information is taken from ETSY. I thought the addresses included needed to be posted. I already wrote letters to the chairman of the committee and of the subcommittee and to the main leaders of both.

IF we write enough letters, so that these men know the problem affects many, many people, they may take action.

The new chairman of the Committe of Energy and Commerce has the ability to call for hearings on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and advance critical legislation to resolve some of the issues. The best way to convince him of the need for a hearing to amend the CPSIA is to WRITE LETTERS to the four Energy and Commerce Committee leaders explaining our concerns and issues with the law as it is written and how it will affect us. Even if you have written to these people before, I urge you to send another letter.

Here are the names and addresses of the four Committee leaders:

The Hon. Henry A. Waxman
Chairman Committee on Energy and Commerce
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515


The Hon. Joe Barton
Ranking Member
Committee on Energy and Commerce
2322-A Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Bobby Rush
Chairman Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade
and Consumer Protection
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Ed Whitfield
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade
and Consumer Protection
2322-A Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515


Call to Action: Write a letter to each man, explaining the problems of this law as you know them and how people, small businesses, etc. will be impacted. I wrote that books contain little to no lead anyway, and to have publishers pay for testing to prove themselves innocent would put many small companies out of business (and not only publishers)including 4RV Publishing; the cost of books would rise, meaning that fewer children would have books; and more economic disasters will be result -- in a time of economic problems. I also gave the impact on me personally.

If anyone does write these men, would you let me know, please? Also, spread the word and the addresses. The more letters, the more likely we will be heard.


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Putting that book together

For five days Aidana WillowRaven and I worked frantically to put a book together. She would put the book block together and send it to me in a PDF. I would edit it and let her know what needed to be changed. We did this process over and over and over and over again.

Sometimes those changes that fixed problems would cause other problems. We'd have to fix those: a long, tedious process, but one needed for a good book. Finally the book block, the interior of the book, was finished and as close to perfect as anyone human could make it.

Then the dust jacket for the book had to be prepared. The illustrations didn't have any trim area or bleed; images would be cut off and part of the needed images removed. Aidana spent hours and hours working to find a solution. She would send me a PDF of the dust jacket, and I'd give my opinion and suggestions. She would rework areas and resend. We spent most of one day and a night doing and redoing. She deserves an award for all her work and expertise. As I told her, I wish I could pay her what she's worth.

Authors and artists wonder why 4RV needs their finished work perferably months before a release date. Finishing the book once we have the components can take weeks. Then the printing company takes a week to two weeks to get a proof back to us. After we approve it, the printing company takes up to three weeks to print copies of the book and a week or more to ship them.
Thankfully Aidana stayed with the job until it was ready. Now the waiting begins again. Hopefully the files uploaded at the printers were correct, and the proof won't show any problems.

Most people have no idea all the hard work and long hours -- after the author, and illustrator if one is used, send in their finished manuscripts and/or illustrations -- before a book is released.

Note: Cross posted on Vivian's Site.